With the Final Fantasy crossover shaking up Standard and Edge of Eternities on the horizon, players are once again eyeing artifacts as a potential backbone for powerful strategies. Artifact affinity decks—those that reduce casting costs or gain value based on the number of artifacts you control—have a long history in Magic, but their viability in Standard depends on more than nostalgia. To see if artifact affinity is more than a gimmick in this new landscape, you need to evaluate synergy, support, and the evolving card pool.